Apartment fire at The Bullfrog Hotel damages two apartment on upper floors... one sent to the hospital...
Flames have damaged two apartments... and, one person was taken to the hospital to be treated for burns following a mid-morning fire at a long-time business and apartment building on Jamestown's eastside. City Fire Capt. Nate Alm says crews were called to The Bullfrog Hotel at 1414 East Second St. shortly after 8 a.m... and, found light smoke coming from the building. Alm says the blaze started inside a second-floor apartment... above the bar. The blaze damaged both the room and contents before extending into a third-floor apartment. The one victim was taken to UPMC Chautauqua Hospital for treatment. No one else was hurt. An off-duty shift was called in to assist. The second-floor apartment was gutted... and, there was some fire damage to the third-floor apartment. The cause remains under investigation.
South County man and woman arrested for drug possession during traffic stop...
Two south county residents have been arrested on multiple drug-related charges following a traffic stop in Jamestown early this morning that led to seizure of more than 5-ounces of methamphetamine. City police say they conducted the traffic stop on Prather Ave. -- near Prospect -- about 12:20 a.m., and, saw drug paraphernalia in plain view inside the car. Officers say they then searched the vehicle and found 5.58-ounces of meth... along with packaging materials... and, two digital scales with drug residue. Police arrested the driver... 28 year-old Amanda Whitford of Celoron... and, her passenger... 34 year-old Aaron Monroe of Gerry... without incident. During a search of Monroe... officers found 15.5 grams of Fentanyl in his pocket. Both Monroe and Whitford were taken to the city jail... where Whitford was found with another 2.2-grams of meth concealed inside her bra. Both are charged with second and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance... and two counts of second-degree Criminally Using Drug Parahernalia. Monroe and Whitford were both jailed pending arraignment.
Jamestown city lawmakers receive "good news" in Fourth-Quarter Sales Tax revenues...
For the first time in it's history... the city of Jamestown has taken in more than 8-million dollars in sales tax revenues for a calendar year. That from Acting City Comptroller Katie Maycock... who delivered fourth-quarter, and final sales tax receipts for 2022. During last night's City Council work session... Maycock reported the city received just over $2-million for the final three-months of the year... and, that brings the total amount to $8.137-million for the year. She says that's 100.1% of their budgeted amount. City Council Finance Committee Chairwoman Kim Ecklund says... after a lackluster third-quarter... it was good news. aycock noted that the total sales tax for 2022 was $179,000 more than in 2021... when the city received $7.95-million.
JPD hiring two new officers beginning in eary March...
There'll be two new police officers joining the ranks of the Jamestown Police Department next month if all goes as expected. That from City Council Public Safety Committee Chairman Brent Sheldon... who says the two, probationary officers would bring the total number to 61 rank-and-file officers. Sheldon says the hires were reported to the committee by Police Chief and Public Safety Director Tim Jackson... who said the officers will begin their field work after wrapping up with the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Academy on Mar. 7 and 8. Sheldon says the two new officers are among three that the police department could hire to become officers. The Jamestown Police Department has been at 60 officers in recent years... and, the city avoids IMPACT payments when staffing is at least 60. JPD was given the go-ahead recently to hire five new officers... one of which would deal with nuisance issues. The other four would be put into gun and drug-involved details. Those hires had been on hold until now because there was no one to hire from the Civil Service list.
Man arrested in Dunkirk in connection with stabbing incident...
Dunkirk Police have arrested a man for allegedly stabbing another man during an incident last Saturday morning at 37 North Ocelot Street. Officers in the north county city say the call came in about 8 a.m., and they located a male victim on scene. Police say the victim was transported to the Hamot Medical Center in Erie due to the seriousness of his injuries. They arrested 29-year-old David Texidor on felony charges of second-degree assault and first-degree burglary. Texidor was arraigned in Dunkirk City Court and remanded to the Chautauqua County Jail on $50,000 cash bail. Dunkirk Police were assisted at the scene by the Chautauqua County District Attorney's office... and, Dunkirk Fire Department.
City man arrested for breaking into eastside home, and menacing woman and two children...
A Jamestown man has been arrested for allegedly breaking into an eastside home... and, threatening a woman with a knife while she was holding her two children. City police were called to the undisclosed location about 2:30 Sunday afternoon... and, found that 37 year-old Eric VanGiesen had broken into the home through a window... and, menaced the unidentified victim. Officers say VanGiesen used the knife to kep the woman from leaving the residence. Police say they found VanGiesen in a nearby residence... and, he was arrested. Officers say they charged him with first-degree burglary... second-degree menacing... three counts of second-degree unlawful imprisonment... and, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. VanGiesen was taken to the city jail pending arraignment.
